GhostArk Review

I've had my GhostArk for about 24 hours now, so I've had a chance to have a good play with it and explore its features and functionality.

Overall I'd say I'm really pleased with my GhostArk but it's not perfect. The concept is excellent and having some really useful tools in one device is great, especially for me as I haven't previously bought any of these devices on their own so it's actually really cost effective for me.

Contained within the one device I've got temperate and pressure sensors, electromagnetic field detector, a "spirit box", electronic voice phenomenon (EVP) recorder and a "sound trap."

The device is really easy to use, the function is set using one of the main knobs and can be tweaked with the other two. Below the knobs there are additional buttons which are mostly used for audio control including recording and playback.

There is a basic settings menu which allows you to control the screen brightness, set the time and your temperature unit (either centigrade for fahrenheit.) I say "basic" settings but it's really all you need, it doesn't overwhelm the user with unnecessary options.

The screen quality is really good and easy to read in all lighting condition. In most views (other than playback) you are able to keep an eye on atmospheric conditions no matter what you're currently using the device to do. The coloured lights on the top of the device, as well as the temperature lights in the centre of the unit provide instant and clear visual feedback of any sudden changes in temperature or EM field strength.

On the whole the build is pretty solid and it's a great size. GhostArk is bigger than a phone, it feels chunky and satisfying, you'd expect a piece of kit like this to fill your hand. The lights and design look really cool and makes the device very eye catching. GhostArk would look great on TV ghost hunting shows.

The device arrived well packed in a stylish box and all the accessories it came with are pretty good. The in-ear headphones are OK, nothing special but fit for purpose. The external speaker is pretty powerful for its size and has a clip so it can be attached to your belt allowing you to use the device with one hand.

The battery life seems good, I gave it a full charge and left it on the data view with all the lights switch on and the screen set to 75% brightness. I stayed on for well in excess of 8 hours. So with more vigorous I would expect that you should get around 6 to 8 hours of continuous use out of a fully charged battery.

However, it took forever to fully charge the battery, about 10 hours or more in fact. It's also a shame that the unit is shipped with a European charger rather than a USB charging lead which would mean customers could use their own local charger or charge it via a computer's USB socket.

There were a few other issues which let the product down, aesthetically there are a few things that aren't quite right such as some minor scratches and marks on the casing.

The biggest issue with my device is that the knobs aren't quite right. Two of the three knobs are upside down meaning that the white marker on the knob doesn't correctly line up with the labelled options. The knobs also spin all the way round and click into a stop position where there is no actual option available to select.

I've test all of the sensors. Pressure and EMF seem to be pretty accurate (although I have no frame of comparison for EM strength) but the temperature reading is fairly inaccurate. From boot up the displayed temperature is always about 2 degrees centigrade warmer than the room. After being switch on for an extended period, I noticed this difference climb to around 10 degrees more.

There are also some imperfections with the audio recording. When I playback recordings as subtle beeping sounds can be heard, I'm not sure if this is intentional but it's present in radio sweep audio as well as EVP recordings. Luckily this only occurs in playback on the device, when audio is exported to a PC via the memory card, it's clean.

These aren't massive problems but they are slightly disappointing considering the wait, the original promise and the cost of the product. I can understand how some customers might also be disappointed by the lack of an internal speaker as the device was originally supposed to have them built in, but I really don't think it's essential.

The one improvement I would like to see in a future model is the inclusion of a volume level indicator. It's not a deal breaker but I feel like there is a lack of feedback when you increase or decrease the volume and you can't see the current volume level at a glance by looking at the screen.

My Rating

In its current state I would rate GhostArk 7.5 out of 10.

My device was one of the first to be shipped and GhostArk have since promised to replace any faulty products. I really like my GhostArk and now I have it, I don't really want to send it back, but I know that if I do and GhostArk fulfil their promise then GhostArk would be easily worthy of a 10/10 rating and I honestly believe this product has that potential.

I'm Steve a digital content producer with 20 years experience creating videos, podcasts and website features for some of the biggest media brands in the UK. I'm now responsible for my own online catalogue of quirky creations.

I'm probably best known for my YouTube channel, HiggypopUK where I make weekly potion videos which confuse, excite and entertain.